One of the 350 boats on display was a Haven 12 1/2 built by students at the Northwestern School of Boatbuilding. From a distance it was drop dead gorgeous and on closer inspection maybe a little rough here and there. But this shape is timeless and lovely, and thousands of boat lovers salivated upon it. Plus the paint color was beautiful.
I have long been intrigued with the discovery of New Zealand. This photo is of a wonderful, authentic replica of ENDEAVOUR that was at the show- Captain Cook’s vessel in which he made the first of his three voyages into the Pacific. It put a chill up my spine to walk the decks of this ship. Lots of people think Cook “discovered” New Zealand, but he didn’t. That honour falls to Kupe, the fortunate Maori who departed Raiatea in the Society Islands (near Tahiti) in a double canoe and sailed it over 2000 miles into the unknown about 1000 years ago. His canoe planted the first human beings on New Zealand, and every time I travel there I go to the spot in Whitianga where legend holds that he first stepped ashore. Coincidentally Cook also put into the same beach, where he performed a “transit of Mercury” which enabled him to fix the longitude of New Zealand to an accuracy of less than ten miles, an amazing feat for the year 1769. I’m sure you know that the first European who sighted New Zealand was actually Abel Tasman, who encountered it in 1642 , named it after his homeland (Holland) and reported the fact of the island’s existence, and the fact that it was inhabited by huge humans who bludgeoned and ate four of his crewmembers
On the way to Hobart I stopped in Sydney to go sailing on one of my cold molded CAROL designs which was built there. Despite her more than 20 years she was looking great- I’ve found that WEST System cold molded boats outlast even fiberglass. I was able to help the owner a bit with some sail problems. The genoa leads were in the wrong place, and the mainsail worn out enough that I convinced him to buy a new one. The boat sailed great in about 15 knots of breeze, with about the best helm of any of my long-keeled boats. With a new mainsail she’ll be at least 1/4 knot faster.
French and Webb are making great progress on their PAINE 15. The hull is faired ready for painting, the ballast keel is on, and the fore and afterdecks are just about to go on.
In the past few years I have designed, and found high quality builders for, three derivatives of the famous Herreshoff 12 1/2. I’ve written an article on the subject, which you can read by clicking here: https://www.chuckpaine.com/boats/what-would-nat-do/
The York 18 hull pattern is near completion. Here she is getting her final coats of wax before the mold is taken off. This is some of the finest tooling I have ever seen. It is absolutely fair and smooth, and the sheerline has been tweaked to be utter perfection. It has been years since a small sailboat has been introduced to the sailing fratenity. This one will be of the highest achievable quality as I think you can easily discern. Progress should be rapid now- there are two yachts on order and demand is strong.
My twin brother Art and I were always obsessed with yachts, and beauty, and art as the expression of both, from our earliest years growing up in Jamestown, RI before our beloved island became a commodity traded by the winners on Wall Street. We staved off starvation by digging clams, which were after all free, as directed by our mother who had to provide for us. But we loved to draw, and we could draw yachts especially, and together we created our version of beauty, whether in the form of floating objects or pigmented goo smeared on canvas, and we made our way, perhaps almost famously. We’d like to show you how beauty is created, if you are a CCA member or even if not if you have $15 in your pocket to spare. 11:30 AM at Cottrell Brewing Co, Pawcatuck, CT. on March 24. Please do come . We promise you will enjoy it.
ChuckPaine.com LLC is a new company which will focus upon putting small, very seaworthy sailboats into the hands of the next generation of nautical adventurers. We will emphasize small to midsize yachts because they enable aspiring voyagers to get out there before their geriatric years. Unlike my old company, now closed, we will leave motoryacht design to others—the world does not need more ways to use up its precious one-off gift of liquid energy. Corporations are not all faceless automatons running on autopilot. At least the small ones are steered, influenced, perhaps inspired by their leaders. Hence this Blog, in which Chuck Paine blurts out his personal take on subjects as varied as his yacht designs as works of art, his clients, his other life as an oil painter, and the state of the world in general. Don’t forget this is a blog, and it’s a lot more fun for others to read when people who read it (THIS MEANS YOU!) post your comments- positive or scathing- for all the world to see.
The PAINE 15 at French and Webb.
French and Webb are making great progress on their PAINE 15. The hull is faired ready for painting, the ballast keel is on, and the fore and afterdecks are just about to go on.
